


Wolves and the Season of Change

by OverEmotionalFuckery



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Humanstuck, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-18
Updated: 2012-09-18
Packaged: 2017-11-14 12:09:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/515097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverEmotionalFuckery/pseuds/OverEmotionalFuckery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jade is a wolf girl, found by Eridan on an early morning hunting trip. He and Feferi nurse her back to health, but when it comes time for her to leave, will they be able to let her go?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wolves and the Season of Change

**Author's Note:**

> this was a birthday gift for my friend Kat uvu

It was early, just after dawn, and Feferi was creeping her way through the castle. The hallways were empty until she got to the kitchen, which was already bustling with servants preparing breakfast. She snatched an apple and dodged around the people hurrying to get food ready. Through the back door and down a small path, Feferi hardly had to watch where she was going; she had been this way so many times, she could find her way with her eyes closed. Taking a seat on a small bench and biting into the apple, she gazed out at the sunrise making the yellows and oranges of the changing leaves seem to glow.

A soft breeze blew through her dark brown hair and whipped her dress around her ankles. She hadn't had very many moments to herself recently, so she cherished the precious few she got. With all the planning for the wedding, she barely got a second of peace. All day, Feferi was dragged around, made to sample cake recipes, and hold still for adjustments to be made on her dress, and practice her vows, and memorize every little detail of what she had to do during the wedding, and she was sick of it.

All she wanted to do was go outside and enjoy the nice weather.

Feferi finished her apple and tossed the core out to the forest. She stood up and stretched, preparing for sneaking back up to her room. Before she left, though, she saw someone on horseback heading for the stables.

“What is he doing back so early?” she muttered to herself. Eridan was usually out riding until well after the sun was up; sometimes he would lose track of the time and would be almost late for breakfast. He and his father had been visiting for several weeks, long enough for Feferi to know Eridan's early morning riding schedule. Knowing she would have to be quick if she wanted to sneak back to her room unnoticed, she ran off in the direction of the stables.

\---

“Eridan?” she called once she got to the stables. “Eridan, are you here?” Feferi turned a corner and saw Eridan heaving something off his saddle. In the soft light of the sunrise, she could just make out a human form. “Eridan, what's going on?”

“Fef, I need your help,” Eridan said as he set the person down and looked up at Feferi. Feferi stepped closer and could now make out the white ears and tail. “She's hurt, Fef. Hurt real bad.” The wolf-girl turned her head slowly to look at Feferi. She looked tired, impossibly tired, and as the sun rose higher, illuminating the stables better, Feferi could see the many bruises and cuts and scrapes on her body. Feferi gasped and knelt by the girl.

“What happened?”

“I don't know. She won't talk to me. Hell, she might not be able to talk.”

Feferi pulled the girl's arm around her shoulders and stood up. “We have to take her inside!”

“No, Fef, we can't. If she's found, she'll be killed. They'll send her back into the wild, only to hunt her down.”

“Well, we can't leave her here in the stables!”

“Let me take care of it.” Eridan moved so that he was holding the girl up. Feferi still looked worried. “Trust me, okay?”

“...Okay.”

“Now get back in there or you'll get caught, and I know you won't like that.” He shot her a smile, one that she easily returned. She darted off towards the castle, hurrying through narrow, barely used passages, hoping her father or mother hadn't already checked to make sure she was awake.

Once safely inside her room, she rang for her handmaid to come help her get dressed for breakfast.

“Where were you, m'lady?” her handmaid asked as she was lacing up Feferi's corset.

“What do you mean, Aradia?”

“I mean that I came to wake you up ten minutes ago and you were not in your chambers.” Aradia finished tightening the corset and walked over to Feferi's closet.

“I just went for a walk. You know I do that sometimes.” Feferi shrugged as best as she could in her restrictive clothing. She knew Aradia was aware of her early morning wanderings, and she also knew that Aradia had covered for her more times than she could count.

“If you say so, m'lady.” Aradia gave a tiny smirk as she returned to Feferi's side with a deep fuchsia dress.

“You'll want to look your best today. They're making the official announcement at breakfast,” Aradia said softy. Even though Feferi's marriage had been discussed for quite a while, it had only been finalized a few days ago. The announcement would be made to the kingdom today, and Feferi and her groom would be wed in less than two weeks.

Feferi thanked Aradia one last time and headed down to the dining hall. Besides Eridan, she was the last to arrive for breakfast. Everyone's eyes were on her as she crossed the room. As soon as she sat down, her father looked over at Eridan's father, a fearsome man known to most by the name Dualscar, to make sure it was acceptable to start his speech while Eridan was gone. Dualscar nodded slightly, a sign of his approval. The king stood up and began a speech about uniting kingdoms and the prosperity that would grace everyone present, and after about three sentences Feferi wasn't really listening anymore. She wondered about Eridan and the wolf girl, and if he had gotten her somewhere safe.

“Where were you this morning?” Feferi's mother asked, her voice a harsh whisper.

“Why, in my bed, of course.”

“Then why were you late?”

“I had a nightmare last night, so I went for a walk to clear my head.” Feferi shrugged, hoping that if she treated the issue lightly, the queen would drop it. It worked. The queen sat back in her seat, still eying Feferi with suspicion.

The king finished his speech and raised a glass for a toast to the success of the wedding.

Feferi almost dropped her glass when she noticed Eridan sneak through the servant door. He gave her a little wink as he attempted to make it to his chair without being seen. It almost worked; no one noticed him until he sat down, when Dualscar narrowed his eyes and said softly, “Nice of you to join us.”

Eridan shrugged, trying to brush it off like it was no big deal. Dualscar said something else to Eridan, but it was so quiet, Feferi couldn't hear. Dualscar was not happy, though; anyone could see that.

Feferi pushed her food around her plate, hoping Eridan wouldn't get in trouble, hoping she'd be able to talk to him after breakfast. She excused herself after a bit, saying she was not hungry, and then left for her chambers. Feferi figured she would wait there for Eridan to excuse himself.

She just barely managed to contain her scream when she opened the door.

There was someone in her room, curled up in one of her blankets, resting by the fireplace.

Once the surprise wore off, she recognized the wolf girl as the mystery intruder. Even though she stepped quietly, her presence still woke the napping girl. She turned to see Feferi, and her eyes widened. She sat up, the blanket falling off, allowing Feferi to see that her wounds had been treated. Feferi pretended not to notice that the wolf girl was naked.

The princess sat in the chair she used when doing her make up, and straightened her skirt before looking back at her visitor.

“Who are you?”

No response.

“What's your name?”

She kept her mouth shut.

“You know, I'm not going to hurt you. There's a reason Eridan brought you to my room.” Feferi smiled, hoping that would encourage the wolf girl to speak (assuming she could speak). “At least tell my your name so I know what to call you. Please?”

“Jade,” she said softly. “My name is Jade.”

“That's a very pretty name, Jade.” Feferi smiled, wider this time. “My name is Feferi. Would you like to tell me what happened?”

Feferi watched patiently as Jade explained that she had grown up far in the south, and she had left home to see the world. She traveled north first because she had never seen snow, but when she got there, she got in a fight with a local wolf. Jade was beaten pretty badly, and just barely got away. She wandered around, looking for a pool or stream to clean herself up, but she almost passed out. Eridan found her, just a few minutes from unconsciousness, and took her to the castle. He practically carried her up to this room, where he treated her wounds and left her to sleep.

The whole time, Feferi watched Jade, and how she told the story with not just words, but with gestures and movement. She was an energetic story teller, that was for sure.

“That's awful, Jade. I'm so sorry.”

“Oh, it's not so bad. I've never been inside a castle before!” Jade shrugged and smiled, pulling the blanket up over her shoulders and laying down again.

“Thanks for letting me stay here, Feferi.” Jade said softly.

Feferi opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Fef, it's me.” Eridan's voice was heard, slightly muffled by the thick wooden door.

“Come in.”

The door opened just wide enough for Eridan to slide in and then shut quickly behind him. He sagged against the door, sighing deeply.

“I just had the worst conversation with my father.”

“Oh no. I hope you didn't get into too much trouble.”

Eridan took a seat on the edge of Feferi's bed. “I wasn't really in trouble. It was basically, 'I'm so disappointed in you, you'll never be a leader if you don't straighten up, etc etc.' It wasn't bad, but he has a way of speaking that makes you want to sink into the ground.” Another small sigh. “I don't even want to rule, and he's making me afraid that I won't do a good job.”

“Well, I think he's right,” Feferi said after a small pause. “I mean, neither one of us is really ready to lead. But we don't have to yet! We've got time to get ready.” She gave him a big smile. “So don't worry too much about it.” Eridan returned her smile, although a bit less enthusiastically.

“Thanks, Fef.” He glanced at Jade. “So you've been introduced, then?”

“Yes. I was just about to ask what made you think it was a good idea to hide a wolf girl in the princess' bed chambers.”

“I didn't have much of a choice.” Eridan ran a hand through his hair. “I mean, she'd have to be somewhere where you or I could check in on her regularly, and it would have to be somewhere most people would stay out of, and there's only so many rooms that meet those requirements.”

“Well, how long is she going to stay here?”

Jade's ears lowered, and she pulled the blanket up around her ears. Feferi was quick to correct herself.

“Not that I want you gone! It's just... not really safe for you here. The quicker you can get out, the better.” For everyone.

“I don't know how long she's going to be here. She had some pretty bad wounds, Fef.”

“I could leave now,” Jade said, looking from Feferi to Eridan. “I mean, I'm bandaged up. I'm good to go back outside.”

“Absolutely not!” Feferi exclaimed.

“You're gonna need at least a week to rest. You were pretty bad off when I found you,” Eridan added.

“Well, alright. I don't want to be a burden, though.” Jade clenched the blanket tighter around herself.

“You aren't a burden.” Feferi attempted to reassure the wolf girl. It seemed to work when Jade gave her a little grin.

“We'll be back later. We've got things to attend to,” Eridan said, standing up and holding a hand out to Feferi. They left, and Jade curled up in her blanket and fell back asleep.

\---

“Are you sure I'm not a burden?” Jade asked later when Feferi returned with a small plate of food.

“Of course not,” Feferi lied. Having Jade around wasn't exactly a burden – she was more of a liability or hazard. She wouldn't tell Jade that though; Jade didn't need that added stress on top of her injuries. Feferi watched Jade eat for a moment, a wave of pity washing through her at the way Jade ate like it was the best meal she had ever tasted.

“Do you have any clothes, Jade?” Feferi asked the question quickly, trying not to drag out thoughts of someone else's naked form.

“I did. Lost them in the fight with that wolf.” Jade managed to pause eating long enough to answer the question. She didn't seem nearly as embarrassed by her nudity as Feferi was.

“Would you like one of my dresses to wear around?” Feferi was honestly a little surprised Eridan didn't just offered Jade one when he brought her into the castle.

“Sure! Your dresses are really pretty!”

The princess walked over to her wardrobe and looked through her dresses, trying to find something simple, something she wouldn't miss too much if she never got back. She then realized that Jade had a tail and couldn't wear any of the dresses she had. She looked for a skirt and a blouse, like the kind she wore during the summer. Finally, she found something: a dark green skirt and lighter matching blouse.

“Do you like this?” Feferi asked, holding the clothing out.

“Wow!” Jade stood up and rushed across the room, and Feferi noticed she had a tiny limp from her injuries. She ran her hands over the fabric. “This is the nicest outfit I've ever seen!”

“Did you ever wear skirts?” Her reaction was curious to Feferi, who had worn nothing but fancy dresses since she was a child.

“I wore skirts sometimes. I wore pants mostly though.” Jade shrugged. “More convenient, and cheaper.”

“Well, try this on.” Feferi handed the clothing to Jade and went to sit. Jade put the skirt on with no problem, but when it came to the blouse, she hesitated. She just stood there, looking from the blouse in her hands to Feferi.

“Could you help me put this shirt on?” Jade flushed and her ears twitched. “I never had a blouse this fancy..”

Without a word, Feferi walked over to Jade and took the role Aradia usually played for her. She helped the shirt over Jade's head and laced up the back (she didn't give Jade a corset, because Eridan suspected a couple of her ribs might be bruised). She had Jade sit down and brushed her long, black hair. Feferi put some make up on her and put some simple silver adornments in her hair.

When Feferi was done, Jade turned around to look at herself in the mirror and gasped loudly.

“I look like a princess!”

Jade turned and looked up at Feferi, a huge grin on her face. She wrapped her arms around Feferi's waist and hugged her tightly, muttering thank you over and over again into her stomach. Feferi couldn't help but wrap her arms around Jade's shoulders and hug her back.

\---

After dinner, when Feferi was heading back up to her room, she was cornered by Eridan.

“Don't go getting attached,” he murmured.

“What are you talking about?”

“Jade. I saw what you did. The make up. The jewelry. When I brought her food earlier, she just went on and on about how nice you were and how pretty she felt.” Feferi flushed; she hadn't realized her actions had that much of an impact on Jade. “So I'm telling you now: don't get attached. She's not gonna be here for long, and after we get married, we probably won't ever see her again.”

“I know.” Feferi looked up at Eridan, her eyes narrowed. She did not want to be reminded of the life-changing ceremony that would be taking place in less than two weeks. “You don't have to talk to me like I'm a child, Eridan.”

Eridan relaxed and looked down at his feet. “I know. It's just.. I don't want to see you get hurt. I don't want to see you start to like this wolf girl and then get upset when she leaves.”

“I won't,” Feferi said, placing her hand on Eridan's arm. “Okay?” He gave her a little half-smile.

“Okay.”

\---

Not getting attached was harder than it sounded.

Jade was absolutely charming. She was funny and kind, and incredibly grateful for everything Feferi and Eridan were doing for her.

Eridan could see Feferi getting closer to the wolf girl, despite his warnings. He'd kept himself distant, not doing much more than bringing Jade food once or twice a day, when Feferi couldn't, and engaging her in small talk.

He was the only one who could treat her wounds, though. Feferi had no training for that sort of thing, and although she could change bandages, she couldn't assess damage the way Eridan could.

“Your ankle looks good,” he said quietly as he redid the bandages on Jade's twisted ankle one night after dinner.

“It feels a lot better.” Her tail wagged slowly; Eridan could see it sticking out behind the chair.

He finished changing her bandages on her legs and moved to her arms and torso. Her arms and legs had taken the worst damage, which was actually good. Her wounds on her limbs were received from blocking the wolf, which kept it mostly away from her chest and stomach. Eridan finished what he was doing without another word and then headed for the door.

“Thank you, Eridan,” Jade said, and something in her voice made Eridan stop. He heard footsteps and then felt arms around his waist. She rested her head between his shoulders, which almost muffled her words. “Thanks for finding me. Thanks for not leaving me in the forest to die. Thanks for helping me get better.”

Eridan chuckled and patted her hand. He didn't say anything, but he didn't really need to. Jade released him, and he left.

\---

“Jade.”

“Jade, wake up.”

Jade rolled over and in the dark she could just make out Feferi hovering above her face.

“Wake up. I want to show you something.”

Feferi tossed a robe at Jade to wear over the nightgown she was borrowing, and then cracked the door to make sure no one was around.

“Come on,” she whispered, taking Jade's hand and leading her silently through the castle.

It was dark, still about an hour before dawn, and the castle was completely still. Not even the servants were awake.

Outside, it was chilly, and Jade was glad that Feferi had handed her a robe. Winter was certainly on its way.

The moon was still out, but the sky was beginning to lighten from the coming sunrise. Jade felt dew on her ankles as she and Feferi ran through tall grass, down toward the forest.

“Where are we going?”

“You'll see!”

They stopped at a small bench, but only for a moment while Feferi pointed out the excellent view of the forest. The brightly colored leaves could just be seen in the dim light. The horizon was painted all shades of pink and purple, and Jade smiled involuntarily at the beauty of it. They didn't stop for long; after just a moment, Feferi was pulling Jade in a different direction, down a small stone path. The path split off many times, and Jade knew that if she was by herself, she'd be hopelessly lost. Feferi seemed to know exactly where she was going, and Jade trusted the princess.

They passed hedges and trees and bushes, and got farther and farther from the castle, until it could barely be seen over the foliage. Feferi led Jade through an archway covered in vines and leaves, and then stopped.

“This is where I come sometimes to be alone.”

“It's beautiful,” Jade whispered.

Before her was a beautiful garden, full of flowers still closed up against the chilly night. Roses of all different colors, lilies, snap dragons, bleeding hearts, phlox, and still many more Jade couldn't identify.

“You should see it in the daytime.” Jade could imagine all the flowers fully blooming and vibrant. She could imagine walking with Feferi in the sunlight, surrounded by fragrance from the flowers as they bloomed for the last time before they froze with the frost.

The princess took the wolf girl through the garden, pointing out the different kinds of flowers and describing what they would look like when they blossomed. It was almost sunrise when they snuck back into the castle.

She held Jade's hand the whole time.

\---

Jade pretended to sleep, so she wouldn't disturb Eridan and Feferi. The prince and princess were conversing softly, trying to keep from waking the wolf girl.

“Are you excited for this wedding, Eridan?” The tone in Feferi's voice indicated she was excited.

“Well, yeah. I guess.” Jade couldn't see it, but she knew Eridan was shrugging. “You don't think we're too young?”

“No,” she said. “Maybe. It's not like we have a choice, anyway.” A deep sigh. “I mean, I'd like to be able to choose who to marry! And when to get married!” The screeching of a chair pushed across the floor and footsteps as the princess started pacing.

“It's not you, Eridan,” Feferi said suddenly. “It's not like I have a problem marrying you. In fact, I think we'll have a very happy married life. We get along very well, and I do like you. It's just so frustrating having everyone else make decisions for you.”

“Well, if I had a choice, I'd still choose you,” Eridan said, his words barely audible.

The footsteps stopped and Jade held her breath, waiting for someone to say something.

After several moments of silence, she rolled over, still pretending to be asleep, and cracked an eye open just enough to see what they were doing. Feferi had sat down beside Eridan and wrapped her arms around his thin waist, although she was staring at the floor. He had his arm around her shoulder, but he wasn't looking at her, either.

Jade stretched, like she usually did when she woke up, and Feferi and Eridan quickly separated. Feferi stood up and smoothed her skirt out, then left, muttering something about getting food for Jade now that she was awake.

As soon as the door was shut, Eridan looked at Jade.

“How much did you hear?”

“What do you mean?” Jade asked.

“Don't play dumb. How much of that were you awake for?”

“A lot of it.. Most of it. Pretty much all of it.”

Eridan sighed and slumped forward. “She doesn't love me.”

“Nonsense. Of course she does.”

“No. I told her that, given the choice, I would still marry her. She didn't say anything.” Eridan ran a hand through his hair.

“She does love you. Maybe not in the same way, but she said herself that she knows she'll be happy as your wife, as your queen.” Jade got up, walked over to Eridan, and sat down on the floor next to his feet. “Don't be sad, Eridan.”

“How am I supposed to be happy with this situation, though? I'm going to spend the rest of my life with the woman I love, who doesn't love me back!” He buried his head in his hands. “It hurts, you know. Loving someone who doesn't love you back.”

“I'd be happy if I were you. Hell, I'd be happy to be her, too.”

At this, Eridan looked up, confused.

“You're both marrying someone you care about a lot and want to spend the rest of your lives with.” Jade shrugged. “I guess I envy that.”

Eridan cracked a small smile. He didn't say anything, but he ran a hand through Jade's hair and scratched her ear.

\---

“Your Highness,” a deep voice called out as Feferi walked down to the kitchen. She spun around, heart racing, but it was only Dualscar.

“What is it?” Feferi asked, trying to remain calm. Dualscar was not a nice person, and he was rather intimidating. The less time Feferi had to spend around him, the better.

“Are you heading to the kitchen?”

“Oh. Yes. I was hungry and went to get a snack.”

“But dinner was just an hour ago; you must have quite the appetite.” He stepped closer to her, towering over her, and she had to fight to stop herself from backing up.

“I've been noticing you going in and out of the kitchen a lot recently.” He leaned in, his eyes narrowed. “Have you been sneaking food?”

“Of course not!” Feferi gave a nervous laugh, hoping it didn't sound too forced. “Why ever would I do that?”

“Perhaps if you were hiding someone. Or perhaps you're stealing for a friend. Someone lower in status, who doesn't get as much food as you do.” He spoke as if he had already made up his mind about Feferi's innocence, and that scared her.

“I'd never steal food, sir. You know that.” She looked at him, her wide, round eyes imploring him to trust her, so she could be left alone.

Dualscar straightened up, looking down his nose at the princess. “I'll take your word, princess.” With that, he left, leaving Feferi feeling breathless and relieved. She hurried to the kitchen and back to her room, but with considerably less food than she had originally planned on taking.

“We've got to get you out of here, Jade,” Feferi said when she returned to the room.

“What? Why?” Eridan said, concerned.

“Dualscar suspects me of something.” Feferi set the food on the table. “I don't think he knows of you yet, but he knows I've been sneaking food away.”

“I'll leave tonight, then!” Jade said. “I don't want either of you getting in trouble.”

“No, not tonight. Dualscar just talked to me; I'm sure if he saw me sneaking around, it would only raise his suspicions more.” Feferi slumped down on her bed. “It has to be tomorrow. We're getting married in a couple days, so there will be festivities and such after tomorrow. It has to be tomorrow, at night.”

\---

Eridan sat anxiously in Feferi's room the next night, watching the last bit of sunlight fade from the sky. Feferi was lying to the queen, claiming to be sick so she could be excused from family obligations; this also gave her a good reason to lock her door and refuse visitors for the rest of the night. Eridan couldn't get his leg to stop bouncing. It was a habit he thought he had left behind, but apparently it came back if he was nervous enough.

The door opened, and Eridan spun so fast, he almost made himself dizzy.

“God, I thought I'd never be able to leave,” Feferi sighed, shutting the door behind her. “Are you ready, Jade?” Jade nodded. “Alright. Let's go.”

Feferi secured a cloak around her shoulders and cracked the door to see if anyone was in the hall. She silently gestured for Jade to follow her; Eridan fell into the last place, just a half step behind Jade. They ran through the halls and passageways, as quickly as possible while still remaining quiet.

Down through the gardens, to the forest they ran, sprinting the second their feet touched grass instead of stone. At some point during their escape, Jade had taken Eridan and Feferi's hands in her own, and she gripped them tightly, almost like she was afraid to let go.

They ran into the forest, until the castle was almost out of view. Jade squeezed Feferi and Eridan's hands one last time before she let them go. She turned to face them.

“Thank you,” she said as she drew Feferi into a tight hug. “Both of you,” she added as she pulled Eridan into a hug as well. “I'm gonna miss you both.”

“We'll miss you too, Jade,” Feferi said, and Jade could swear she saw tears welling up in Feferi's eyes.

“You guys are lucky to have each other. I hope your wedding goes well, and I know that you'll be happy together.”

She gave them one final smile before she turned and ran off. Feferi and Eridan watched until they couldn't see her any more, then they turned, took each other's hand, and walked back to the castle.

\---

On their way back up to Feferi's chambers, Eridan and Feferi didn't run into anyone. They didn't hear a single person in the hallways, or in the rooms they passed. Feferi couldn't chase away the nagging thought that something was wrong. She couldn't get rid of the twisting knot of worry in her stomach. The feeling only intensified when she saw Dualscar ahead of them, standing in front of her room.

“Princess, I thought you were feeling ill,” said Dualscar, raising an eyebrow.

“I needed some fresh air, so I went for a walk. Eridan accompanied me.” Her palms were sweating, and she hoped Eridan wouldn't notice how nervous his father made her.

“Well, I was hoping he would accompany me on a late night hunt.”

“Isn't that dangerous?” Feferi asked.

“The moon is full, princess. On nights like this, when the sky is clear and the air is chilly, visibility is almost as good as daytime.”

“Why though? Why go hunting at night?” Eridan asked skeptically.

“A she-wolf has been spotted in the forest. If we don't go hunting now, we might miss our chance at this prime game.” Dualscar's smile was unsettling and made Feferi's mouth go dry.

“She-wolf?” Please be talking about the animal.

“Wolf-human. Very rare. I've never been able to hunt one, and I'm not missing out on this chance,” Dualscar said, his disconcerting smile growing even wider. “Will you join me, Eridan?”

“Feferi's sick. I don't think I should leave her alone.” Eridan went along with Feferi's lie, his hand tightening around hers.

“If you say so. But you're missing out on a hell of a hunt.” With that, he left, cape billowing out behind him. Once inside Fef's chambers, she started panicking.

“What are we going to do? They're going hunting for Jade, and they're going to find her and kill her! This is horrible, Eridan. What are we going to do?” In the pause she took to catch her breath, she heard dogs braying outside. “Eridan, we have to do something! Now they've got the dogs, and she's still not fully healed, and they'll catch her and even if they don't kill her, they'll cage her like an animal and -”

“Fef,” Eridan said firmly. “Calm down. We ain't gonna get anything done if we panic.” Feferi looked at him with watery eyes. “What we're gonna do is go down to the stables. We're gonna get a couple horses. And we're gonna find Jade before they do.”

Not allowing for the slowdown of being stealthy, they took the most direct route to the stables. A couple servants saw them, but got out of the way as soon as they realized that the princess and the prince were not going to stop. They ran faster than they had in a long time, and got to the stables quickly. Eridan and Feferi's horses were still there, the only ones left in the stable, and they were riding out as soon as they had saddled their horses.

Feferi couldn't hear anything but the pounding of hooves on the ground and the wind rushing in her ears. Her eyes darted around, looking for any sign of Jade. Ahead of her, Eridan held up his right hand, signaling that he would be stopping. Slowing down to a trot and then a full stop, she watched Eridan as he scanned the surrounding area. Now that her horse wasn't running, she could hear the dogs barking in the distance.

Eridan took off to the source of the sound, Feferi close behind. Her heart was racing, and the reigns were slippery in her sweaty hands. She didn't know what she would do if Jade was hurt. She wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of knowing that she had sent Jade out into the forest only to be hunted down.

A flash of white in the distance caught Feferi's eye.

“Eridan, stop!”

He brought his steed to a quick stop, kicking up dirt and leaves in the process. “What is it, Fef?”

“I saw something!” Feferi took off in the direction of the flash of white,

As she got closer, she saw that it was the wolf-girl.

“Jade!” the princess shouted, hoping Jade would hear her over the thundering horse hooves. Jade glanced back over her shoulder and her eyes widened in surprise. She stopped to the side of the horse, and Feferi slowed again and then trotted back to Jade.

Jade was naked, and she explained that she had taken her clothes off to make it easier to run. She couldn't have her skirt getting caught on branches or bushes while she was running for her life. She looked frantically around, still hearing the dogs barking and the hunters' horses' running.

“Come on,” Feferi said, holding her hand out to Jade. She climbed up behind Feferi and wrapped her arms tightly around the princess' waist. Feferi and Eridan rode off through the woods, away from the hunters and their eternally barking dogs. They rode for at least an hour, the moon hanging above them, illuminating their way.

Ahead of them, they saw a river, and Feferi allowed herself a sigh of relief. She pushed her horse just a bit faster, and soon felt cold water splashing up on her legs as she drove her horse into the river. The splashing soon gave way to being almost fully submerged; the river wasn't deep, but the water came up to the horses' necks, so her and Eridan and Jade all got drenched while crossing the river. Which was, admittedly, the point. Their scent wouldn't be as strong, and that would hopefully throw the dogs off.

After they crossed the river, Eridan took the lead again, and Feferi and Jade followed him down the rocky river bank. The hunters were still a ways away, and the rocky shore of the river would hide their path.

Feferi couldn't stop herself from smiling when she felt Jade nuzzle against her shoulder.

\---

They didn't stop riding until the sun's first rays appeared over the horizon. They had long since lost the sounds of pursuing hunters, and they figured now was as good a time as any to rest. Eridan dismounted and tied his horse to a thin tree, and then tied Feferi's horse to the same tree. He helped Jade down and then Feferi, and they all took a seat on the mossy ground beneath a large oak tree.

“What now?” Jade asked softly. She folded her knees to her chest and looked from Feferi to Eridan, waiting for an answer.

“I don't want to send you off by yourself,” Feferi blurted. “I don't want you to be alone.”

“I can't stay with you in the castle.”

“Then we'll go into the woods with you,” Eridan said. Feferi and Jade looked at him, wide-eyed. “I mean.. I don't want you to be alone, either. And if you can't come with us, we don't really have a choice, do we?” He said this with a small smile, one that Feferi and Jade returned.

“Where will we go?” Jade asked.

“The forest. I can hunt, you can hunt, Feferi can.. learn to hunt.” Eridan's smile grew. “Eventually, we'll build a house or something. I don't know. But we'll be together.”

“We could go live with my family while we work on building our own house,” Jade suggested, her ears perking up.

Feferi pulled Jade and Eridan into a tight hug. “I love you,” she said softly, and if Eridan and Jade weren't so close they wouldn't have heard it. They wrapped their arms around her and held her tightly.

When they finally separated, none of them could keep the smiles off their faces.

\---

Later that day, Feferi snuck back into the castle to collect a few precious belongings, (some simple dresses and skirts, a blanket, a weapon or two, and some jewelry should they need money on the road) and to say good bye to Aradia. Aradia gave her a tight embrace and wished her the best of luck in her life.

Eridan, Feferi, and Jade traveled south, towards Jade's home, enjoying the wonderful fall weather. They laughed, they told stories, and sometimes they kissed. When they arrived at Jade's family home, they were welcomed with open arms. They stayed with Jade's family through the winter, and by the next winter, they had a house of their own.

Some times, Jade would ask Eridan and Feferi if they missed being royalty, and every time Eridan and Feferi would say that they were happier now than they ever had been.


End file.
